Halogenated hydrocarbons, including hydrogen chloride (CHC), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs or CFCs) are synthetic organic compounds that have been and are used in various industrial applications. CFCs consist of carbon, chlorine, fluorine and hydrogen and have long been used as refrigerants, propellants in spray cans and as solvents. Due to their high chemical stability, they reach the stratosphere unhindered, where they decompose into reactive chlorine radicals due to UV radiation. These catalysts contribute significantly to the destruction of the ozone layer, which led to the international ban on CFCs in the mid-1980s through the Montreal Protocol.

HFCs do not contain chlorine and were developed as replacements for CFCs. They do not have an ozone-depleting effect, but contribute to global warming due to their high greenhouse potential.

Such halogenated hydrocarbons are oxidized using platinum-palladium catalysts. The oxidation of chlorinated and fluorinated hydrocarbons is an important process in environmental catalysis for the elimination of these environmentally harmful compounds. CHCs and HFCs are extremely chemically resistant due to their stable C–Cl and C–F bonds. Therefore, catalytic oxidation processes are used to efficiently remove these substances.